Think of the Children for March 4

Three dozen titles are fresh from the ESRB oven this past week, two-thirds of which come from Nintendo for the Wii and DS. And while I understand that the word “pimp” is a verb, I never quite thought I’d see it in the title of a game rated E for Everyone (as in Pimp My Ride: Street Racing). A DS game-producing company named 505 takes top honors for representing the most number of games rated this week (all of them rated E, of course), while Square Enix scoops a close second.

Despite Nintendo’s dominant quantities, the PC still pushed 8 games through the wringer, while the Mac came along for 3 of those titles--which is the first time I’ve seen the 360 get edged out by a Macintosh in this little ESRB race. The cross-platformer award goes to MTV Games’ Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock, rated Teen (mild lyrics) for the 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii. The Wii and PC make unlikely bedfellows as they share Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game. McWhoCares?

This week’s best bet is--as best bets go--a somewhat boring decision. Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment is a micro-expansion that introduces a modicum of structures and units to an already-winning real-time strategy formula. After a healthy and extended two rounds of beta testing, it’s also promising to have intelligent player contributions incorporated into the mix.

The 360 and PS3 stopped talking to each other this week, as far as shared releases go. Aside from the shared Rock Band Track Pack (which is indeed shared), the 360 will selfishly horde Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit, as the PS3 packs up its toys and goes home with Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and TV Show King.

The Intriguing Title of the Week goes to MadWorld. It’s probably the first game to come along since Super Mario Galaxy to make me entertain the idea of owning a Wii. But with the Wii having millions upon millions of units in homes across the globe (the sun never sets on the Nintendo empire), I’m even more curious as to how this distinctly Western, distinctly hardcore title will perform at cash registers. If I had a Wii, I’d be dying for the Sin City aesthetic, copious blood sprays, and garish cartoon violence. If you’re visiting a site like GamingNexus, then you’re probably akin to having that desire as well; but I’m wondering if MadWorld skyrockets straight into the Overlooked category of Wii games.

Title

Publisher

Rating

Platforms

Dolphin Discovery

505

Everyone

DS

Kitten Corner

505

Everyone

DS

Puppy Playtime

505

Everyone

DS

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars

Sega

Everyone

Wii

Crystal Defenders R1

Square Enix

Everyone

Wii

Crystal Defenders R2

Square Enix

Everyone

Wii

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

Square Enix

Everyone

Wii

Pimp My Ride: Street Racing

Activision-Blizzard

Everyone

PS2

Pony Paradise

505

Everyone

DS

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Activision-Blizzard

Teen

PSP

Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment

Stardock

Teen

PC

Spore Galactic Adventures

EA

Everyone 10+

Mac, PC

Monster Mayhem: Build and Battle

Crave

Everyone 10+

Wii

Family Pirate Party

Aksys

Everyone 10+

Wii, WiiWare

Grey's Anatomy: The Video Game

Ubisoft

Teen

DS

Jonathan Kane The Protector

Tri Synergy

Mature

PC

Tachyon: The Fringe

NovaLogic

Everyone

PC

Flower, Sun, and Rain

Xseed JKS

Teen

DS

Grey's Anatomy: The Video Game

Ubisoft

Teen

PC, Wii

Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues

Legacy Interactive

Teen

DS

Emergency!

Destineer

Everyone 10+

DS

Emerald Island

Fluid

Everyone

Web

P.J. Pride Pet Detective, Destination: Europe

iWin

Everyone

Mac, PC

Crazy Chicken – Atlantis Quest

Mumbo Jumbo

Everyone

DS

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Wheelie Breakers

Konami

Everyone

Wii

Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic

Sony

Everyone 10+

PS3

The Humans - Meet the Ancestors!

Koch Media

Everyone

PC

The Humans - Meet the Ancestors!

Koch Media

Everyone

DS

Pokémon Platinum

Nintendo

Everyone

DS

Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock

MTV Games

Teen

PS2, 360, Wii, PS3

MadWorld

Sega

Mature

Wii

The Hidden Object Show Seasons 1 & 2

21 Rocks

Everyone

Mac, PC

TV Show King

Gameloft

Everyone

PS3

My Farm Around the World

ValuSoft

Everyone

DS

Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit

Conspiracy

Teen

360

Major Minor's Majestic March

Majesco

Everyone

Wii

Here’s the final tally on who, what and where everything was rated for last week. There were 36 rated titles on 10 platforms (counting Web Browsers and WiiWare): 360 (2), DS (12), Mac (3), PC (8), PS2 (2), PS3 (3), PSP (2), Wii (11), and WiiWare (2). There were 26 of the 36 titles rated Everyone 10+ or lower, 8 rated Teen, and 2 titles (MadWorld and Jonathan Kane The Protector) with Mature branded in their ESRB box. Still no sign of an Adults Only title to be seen.

The running tally of game ratings in 2009 is as follows:

Rating

Count

Everyone

166

Everyone 10+

40

Teen

61

Mature

15

Adults Only

0

Got a comment on the article or a rated game? Put it in the comments section or send me an e-mail. Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing…

*The weekly Intriguing Title of the Week (and any game that is tossed in that paragraph) is identified based on a game on the list that catches the eye of the author for any number of reasons. Good, bad or otherwise, feel free to agree, disagree or add some constructive input to the discussion.

* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company for review.

About Author

Randy gravitates toward anything open-world, story-centric, character-driven, or reimagined. He prefers strategy over shooting, instrospection over action, and stealth and survival over looting and grinding. He lives with his wife and daughter in Oregon. View Profile